International travel is becoming cheaper， and countries are opening their doors to more and more tourists. Do the advantages of increased tourism outweigh its disadvantages？
Air travel combined with early retirement and people with money to spend has meant that more and more people can travel the world. Some countries， especially those with famous historical sights and beautiful natural scenery try to attract this large market. While there are some problems that can be caused with all this travel， generally it is a positive thing.
Firstly， consider that all these tourists mean money that governments are eager to tap into. For many countries， tourism is a big part of GDP and without it their economies would suffer. Foreign tourists bring important dollars to the service industry and lots of small shops and vendors.
Secondly， by encouraging tourism governments are promoting their cities and countries. In my country， China， for example， increased tourism and hosting the Olympics has changed people’s perception of our country. At the same time， tourism allows local people to gain exposure to people from other countries， which is also a good thing.
Of course it’s not always a perfect picture. Not all tourists have a good attitude and manners. And in some cases they may even have a negative influence on the local population. But these situations are not so common， and embassies can create tough guidelines for getting a visa. This seems like a reasonable compromise.
To conclude， international travel is a great thing， but it is a privilege that should not be abused. Governments should encourage it， but also put in place measures to keep dangerous people away. This will result in a win-win situation for everyone.
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